Typewriting machine



B. c. STICKNEY TYPEWRITING MACHINE June 12, E923.

Filed April 28. 1922 Patented dune l2, gZB.

STATES) titan earsnr series.

BUBNHAIII O. STICKNEY, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGN'OR TO UNDERWOOD TYPEWRITER CODTPANY, O35 NEV? YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPEVJRITING MACHINE.

Application filed April 28, 1922. Serial No. 557,073.

To aZZ 7.07! am it may concern Be it known that I, BURNI-IAM C. STICK- NEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New JQI'SCY, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewritinglllachines, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to silent-key devices for typewritinp; machines.

An important object of thepresent invention is to produce a silent-lrey device Nhlkll will conveniently enable any desired number otthe 'type-keys to be made silent-keys; and also to provide for having any silentdrey located wherever desired in the keyboard. Another object oi the invention is to produce a silent-key device which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and which may be readily installed in typewriting machines without the necessity of making any substantial changes therein.

The invention provides means for silencing the usual escapement mechanism when a silent-key is operated, and includes a crossbar harminga silencing-bar universal to the type-key-levers, said bar being provided with bendable teeth or tongues, each of which, by reason of its bendability, may occupy a position in the path or the typekey-lever, to be engaged thereby to operate said bar for silencing the escapement mechanism, or may occupy a position to escape the type-key-lever so that the latter will be ineffective to operate said bar and will therefore be effective to operate the escapement mechanism for letter-feeding the carriage, there being; as many of said teeth or tongues as there are type-lrey-levers so that any of the type-keys to any desired number may be made silent-keys.

Other features and advantages will here inafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a tront-to-rear vertical section, partly diagrammatic and with parts omitted, of a standard Underwood typewritinp; machine having the present invention embodied therein.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of parts involved in the present invention which appear in Figure 1.

Although, in the accompanying drawings, the present invention is shown as embodied in a standard Underwood typewriting machine it is understoodthat it may be embodied in, or may be adapted to be embodied in, other typewriting machines. The illustrated embodiment of the invention,

providing for the employment of as many their forward ends the usual type-keys 5.

The silencing-bar 1 may be conveniently formed of suitable sheet-metal and, inthe form of the invention shown in the drawings, forms the cross-bar of a rocking bail having; upwardly and, "forwardly extending arms 6, shown as formed in one piece with the cross-bar 1, and pivoted at their forward ends on a transverse rod or shaft 7 mounted in the machine-frame 4 forwardly of the key-lever pivot-rod 3 and of the silencing-bar 1. In the construction shown in,

the drawings, the pivot-providing rod or shaft 7 is the usual ribbon-feeding rockshatt carrying pawls, such as 8, for rotating the usual ribbon-winding ratchetwheels, such as 9. The depressible 'keylevers 2 may be returned to their upper positions by means of the usual compressionsprings 10. tending body-part of the silencing-bar lis sui'liciently below the key-levers 2 so as not to be struck thereby. In order to depress the silencing-bar 1, by means of silent-keys, of any desired number inserted in the machine, at any desired places in the keyboard, the sheet-metal silencing-bar 1 has deep notches cut in the rear edge or margin thereof, to provide as many bendable teeth or tongues 11 as there are type-key-levers 2, these teeth or tongues being spaced to agree with the spacing of the type-key-levers and The main or transversely-exkey, shown at 12 in both figures of the drawings, the'reby'to be in the path of, so

, as tobe struck by, any of the key-levers 2 belonging to the silent-keys, so that the siterponent 16L At-its upper end the interlencing-bar 1will-beldepressed when any silent-key is operated.

When the silenoing-barl is depressed, it pulls downward upon a link 18, pivoted at its lower end to lug 1e, secured upon the top of the silencing-bar 1, and at its upper end the linlr13 is connected at 15 to an in- 'ponent 16 carries ahead17, and, in the normal or effective position of the interi ponent 16, shown in the drawings, the interponent-head 17 is interposed between the -upperend of adog-rocker 18 and a tappetforming bar.19;;forming the rear end of a universal-bar-frariie 20, for transmitting carriage-feeding movement from the frame v20 to the dog-rocker 18 when a letter-'feedii'ig type-lrey'is operated. The interpionent 16 is slida-bly mounted at 21 upon the'front face 'of 'the dog-rocker 18, and when the inter fponent is drawn downwardly the inter ponent head 1'? will be withdrawn from its effective position, shown in the drawings,

I to a lower ineffective position, out of the path of the tappet-bar 19, so that it will thenbe unable to transmit carriage-feeding movement from the universal-bar-frame 20. to the dog-roclrer18. Theinterponent will be drawn downwardly by the key-lever 2 of any silent-key, of which one is shown at 'the'front in Figure 1, and of which three are shown in Figure 2. Also, in Figure 2,

' it will be noted that there are two: additional bent-up teeth or tongues 12, thereby providing for two more silentkeys, which would 'makein, all five silent-keys in the particular machine shown in the drawings, the remaina .ing keys corresponding to the unbcnt teeth or tongues ll-being ordinary letter-feeding type-keys. r

, Itwill be) seen that, in manufacturing the silent-key'device of the present invention,

all of the devices may he made alike, re-

gardless of the number of or location'of the silent-keys in any particular machine upon which a silent-key device to. be in-.

stalled, it onlywbeing necessary to bend up I the appropriate teeth or tongues 11 to form therupstanding teeth or tongues 12, insert .7thesil'encing-bar 1 in the machine, and connect it bymeans of I the link 13 to the interponent l6. 1

:At its, rear end the universal-bar-frame v20 is provided with'extensions 22, only one of vwhlch is shown, by which it is supported upon the usualrocking frame 23.v At its forward end the universal-bar-frame 20 carr es, a usual arcuate universal bar '24; in

the path of. shoulders 25 on the type-bars 26, pivoted at 27 and connected to the type key-levers 2 by means of the usual bell- 38 and upon" a chine-frame. v

The dog-rocker 18' forms part of the usual cscapement, mechanism and is. provided] with fixed and loose dogs 30'and 31, alternately engageable with an escapement-wheel 32, which may have a usual one-way conneccranklevers 28, pivote'dat 2980s the ma-- tion to a pinion 83, which engages areleasable carriage-feeding rack 34;, mounted upon a platen-frame 85, carrying a revoluble platen 36, and form ng part of a carriage 37 which may travel upon rearcarriage-rail front carriage-rad (not 7 shown). Also, the platen-frame 35 is pro.

vided' with a roller 39 to travel along a shift-rail L0, carried by the usual rockablc shift-frame 41. Letter-feeding traveling movement maybe imparted, to the carriage 3'? by means of the usualspring-drum (not 8 shown) A spring 12, shown as a'leaf-spring, se

cured to the machine-frame, is providedto raise the silencing-bar 1 after it has been depressed by a silent-key, and a stop 43'is provided onthe frame to check the upward movement of the silencing-bar. The stop 43 may be located adjacent one of the baiLarms ,6, in order to leave the teeth 11 free and another similar stop (not shown); may be provided adjacent the other bail-arm. Also, in addition to the lift-spring 42,.for the silencing-bar 1, a separate lift-spring (not shown) may be provided to assist in raising the interp onent l6-from its ineffective to its effective position. Also, it is to -be understood that the usual return-springs (not shown) areprovided for the dogrrocker 18,

-itsloose dog 31, and for the universal-barframe 20.

1 The operation of the silent-key device of 1. In a typewriting machine-[having a Having thus described'my invention, 1

travelingcarriage, an escapement mechanism therefor, type-keys, and means for opr crating the escapement mechanism from the type-keys, the combination of means for silencing the escapement mechanism including a bar universal to the type-keysandprovided with bendable teeth or tongues individual to corresponding, type-keys, and vcapable of occupying a position to cause'the type-keys to operate said barfor silencing the escapement mechanism, andcapable of occupying another. position in, which the type-keys are ineffective to operate said bar,

whereby selected type-keys may'silence the escapement mechanism and other selected typedreys may be effective to operate the escapement mechanism.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combina tion with a traveling carriage, an escapement mechanism therefor, type-keys, and means operable by the type-keys to operate the es capement mechanism, of means for silenc ing the escapement mechanism including a bar universal to the type-keys and provided with bendable teeth or tongues individual to and corresponding in number with the typelreys, each said tooth or tongue being capable of occupying a position to cause the t ekeys to operate said bar for silencing; the eseapernent mechanism, or of occuppying; a posit-ion in which the type-keys are ineffective to operate said bar, whereby selected type-keys may silence the escapement mechanism and other selected type-keys may be effective to operate the escapement mechanism.

3, In a typewritin'g machine, the combination with a traveling carriage, an escapement mechanism therefor, type-lrey-levers, and means operable by the type-key-levers to operate the escapement mechanism, of means for silencing the escapement mechanism comprising; a bar universal to the type-key levers and provided with teeth or tongues bendable into the path of the typekey-levers in the typing movement of the latter to causeselected type-lrey-levers to operate said bar, while other of said teeth or tongues may remain out of the path of other type-keylevers to render the latter ineffective to op crate said bar, and a device operableby said bar to silence the escapement mechanism when. said bar is'operated.

4-. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a traveling carriage, an escapement mechanism therefor, type-key levers and means operable by the type-keylevers to operate the escapement mechanism, of means for silencingthe escapement mechanism comprising; a bar universal to the type-lrey-levers and provided with as many bendable teeth or tongues as there are typekeydevers, said teeth or tongues being capable of occupying a position in the path of selected type-key-levers in the typing move ment of the latter to cause said selected typekey-levers to operate said bar, while the re maining teeth or tongues may remain out of the path of the remaining type-key-levers to render the latter ineffective to operate said bar, and a device operable by said bar to silence the escapement mechanism when said bar is operated.

5. Ina typewriting machine the combinati on with a traveling carriage, an escapement mechanism for the carriage. depressible type-key-levers, and means-operable by the type-key-levers to operate the escapement mechanism, of a depressible bar universal. to

and extending transversely beneath the type key-levers, bendable teeth or tongues on said bar capable of being bent into the path of selected type-key-levers as these levers move downwardly in the typing operati i, so as to cause said selected type-key-levers to depress said bar while other type-key-levers are ineffective to depress said bar, and means operable by said bar to silence the escapement mechanism when said bar is depressed.

6. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a traveling carriage, an escapement mechanism therefor includingdog-rocker, downwardly movable type-lrey-levers, a universal bar operable by the type-lrey-levers, a normally effective interponent for transmitting carriage-feeding movement from the universal bar to the dog-rocker, and means for withdrawing the interponent to ineffective position comprising a downwardly movable transverse bar extending below and universail to the type-key-levers, said bar being; provided with as many bendable teeth or tongues as there are type-key-levcrs, said teeth or tongues being capable of occupying an upper position in the path of the. typekey-levers to cause said bar to be depressed by the type-lrey-levers to withdren .he in terponent to ineffective position, said teeth or tongues also being capable of occupying a lower position out of the path of the typekey-levers to permit the interponent to remain in its elfective position, whereby selected type-keys may cause the escapement mechanism to be silenced, and the remaining type-keys may operate the escapement mechanism to feed the carriage.

7. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a frame, a traveling carriage, an. e-scapement mechanism for the carriage, depressible type-lrey-levers, and means opei able by the ype-key-levers to operate the escapement mechanism, of means for silencing the escapement mechanism comprising a depressible bar universal to and extending; transversely beneath said type-key-levers, bailarms pivoted on the frame and carrying said bar, said bar being provided with tongues or teeth individual to the type-keylevers and bendable into the path of the type-key-levers in the typing movement of the latter to cause selected type-key-levers to depress said bar while other type-lrey-levers are ineffective to depress said bar, and a de vice operable by said bar to silence the escapement mechanism when said bar is depressed.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a frame, a traveling carriage, an escapement mechanism for the carriage, depressible type-key-levers pivoted at their rear ends on the frame, means operable by the type-keylevers to operate the escapement mechanism, and a ribbon-feeding shaft extending transversely of the frame forpivoted on said shaft and including acrossbar beneath and universal to the type-keylevers, said cross-bar be ng provided with bendabletongues or teeth which may occupy I an upper position in the path of selected type-key-levers to cause said selected type:

key-levers to depress said crossbar, said tongues or teeth being also capable of occupying a lower position out of the path of the type-key devers so that "said crossbar will not be depressed thereby, and a device operable by said cross-bar to silence the escapement. mechanism when said bar is depressed, whereby selected type-keys may cause the escapement mechanism to be silenced and the remaining type-keys may operate the escapement mechanism to feed the carriage; I

9; In a typewriting machine, the combination with a traveling carriage, an escape ment mechanism therefor, type-key-levers, and means operable by the type-key-levers to operate the escapement mechanism, of means for silencing the escapement mechanism ineluding a sheet-metal bar universal to the type-key-levers and-having notches cut in one of its edge marglns providing bendable vteeth or tongues in one piece with said bar individual to and corresponding in number with the type-keydevers, each said tooth or.

tongue by reason of its bendability being capable of occupying a position 1n the path of the corresponding type-key-lever to be engaged thereby to cause said type-key-lever to operate said bar for-silencing the escape ment mechanism, or of occupyinga position out of the path of the corresponding type-key-lever to render the latter ineiiective to operate said bar, whereby selected type-keys may silence the escapement mechanism and the remaining type-keys may be effective to operate the escape-merit mechanlsm. I

10. In a typwriting machine, the combinawith a traveling carriage, an escapement mechanism for the carriage, depressibletypekeydevers, and means operable by the typekey-levers to operate the escapement mechanism, of a depressible sheet-metal barnniversal to and extending transversely'beneath the type-key-levers-, said bar having notchescut in one of its edge margins to provide in one piece with said bar bendable teeth or tongues individualto and corresponding in number with the type-keylevers,each said tooth or tongue projectlng nism whensaid baris depressed, whereby,

selected type-keys may silence the escapement mechanism andvthe remaining type: keys may be effective to operate the escapement mechanism. r c

BURNHAM'C. STICKNEY.

J Witnesses: r

JnNNm P. THoRNn,

CATHERINE A. NEWELL. 

